Disappearance and Death
by catlover1033
Summary: Nancy Drew is in Chicago searching for a girl who has been missing for 11 years, while the Hardy boys are in town to investigate the death of a senator. They run into each other, but their cases aren't related at all... right? Any reviews/comments appreciated! NOW COMPLETE! :)
1. Prologue

**_Alright, admission #1 (of who knows how many to come) I have never written a 'fanfic' before, so I'd appreciate any reviews, advice, smiley faces, whatever you all do to encourage each other. But most of all, I'd just like you to enjoy this story! I know it's not the most profound stuff out there, and it's not meant to be. If you want an adventure/angst/tiny bit of romance, go ahead and read and let me know what you think!_****_  
_**

**_Also, I don't own anything whatsoever with regard to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew (except I do own a copy of a couple of the books, but I don't think that really counts for anything :)_**

Prologue

"Boss, the call went through."

The man holding the phone let out a stream of obscenities, holding the sleek piece of metal away from his face. When he returned to the call, his voice was composed.

"What happened?"

"We thought he was dead, but the drug hadn't fully kicked in yet. He got the phone call through then died shortly after."

"Did he say anything?"

"We're not sure. He might have died before he was able to speak."

There was a silence.

"I'm sorry Boss, it won't happen again. We're not making that mistake again."

"You better not."

"I'll make sure it gets covered up, honest." The voice on the other side became slightly more frantic.

"Alright. I'm leaving it up to you. But if they aren't out of the picture soon..."

"You got it, Boss."

"And I mean completely out. I don't want press coverage or investigation on their deaths- it's got to be a flawless accident."

"I understand."

"Good." The man snapped the cell phone closed, straightened his tie and walked out.


	2. Chapter 1

_**So I thought I'd go ahead and put up the next chapter, since the first is really just a short teaser. In general, I will be updating every couple of days, and I don't plan on leaving my story sitting at some cliff hanger for undeterminable amounts of time. I know several stories where the author seems to have forgotten about their story right at the worst moment. Rest assured, I will strive not to do that. On that note, enjoy and please let me know what you think!**_

_**I do not own the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. Someone far richer than me does.  
**_

"Excuse me, I'm here to meet someone." A slim, slightly worried young woman told the restaurant hostess, brushing a couple of loose strands of strawberry blonde hair out of her face.

"Are you Miss Drew?" the hostess glanced up.

"That's me."

"Mr. Lopez is waiting in the back room. Just straight back."

It was a long journey for a single meeting with a client, Nancy Drew reflected as she made her way past the chairs and tables of the diner. River Heights and Chicago had more than a few hours of travel between them. Even now, Nancy wasn't totally sure why she had jumped at the idea of meeting a client in Chicago. Perhaps it was the excitement of a big city case after countless trivial jobs of a small town. Maybe she had finally wanted to take some independence and put into action her training.

Maybe she had wanted to get away.

Nancy pushed thoughts of Ned out of her head as she approached the room at the back of the restaurant. At the table sat a middle aged man. A word popped up into Nancy's head; rumpled. The man's drab clothing was simple, worn, and wrinkled, as though his clothing had come straight from a crumpled up ball on the floor. Still, Nancy noticed that his shoes were sleek and black instead of the expected worn sneakers. Quickly she raised her eyes to her client's face.

Nicholas Lopez was not a bad looking man. His face was well proportioned with a firm chin and dark eyes. But like the rest of him, the face seemed worn and troubled, and she could tell he was considerably older than her. A thin scar ran down the side of his face, barely noticeable.

"Nancy Drew?" Nicholas stood up, revealing his average height and slim build. Quickly Nancy snapped out of her observation mode and took the offered hand.

"Hello Mr. Lopez," she smiled. The handshake he gave her was firm.

"Please, call me Nicholas," he said, smiling to show very white teeth. The smile quickly faded as he sat down. A waiter breezed by, depositing menus on their table. Nancy ordered a lemon soda. Nicholas went with water. "You had a good journey, I hope?" he asked.

"Very nice," Nancy replied, taking a sip of her soda and hoping he would get on with the case. She hadn't driven all the way to Chicago for small talk. Nicholas Lopez sighed.

"I called you here because my niece has gone missing."

Immediately Nancy straightened and pulled out her notebook.

"When?"

"About eleven years ago."

_Eleven years!_ Nancy knew that each day that went by made it harder to find a missing person. Let alone years. "Why did you wait eleven years to start a search?" Nancy asked, pushing her hair out of her blue eyes, carefully watching Nicholas Lopez, who flushed slightly. He looked down, clasping and unclasping his hands.

"They did look. The police that is. But they stopped the search after a couple of days and... And I didn't have enough money to continue on my own." Nicholas Lopez looked pained at the admittance, worried face furrowing.

"And now?"

"I have finally made my way to a better job, and saved. I know my niece is not dead. They never found a body, and I... I just know she's still alive," he said breathlessly, leaning forward and intensity burning in his dark eyes. "Will you take this case? Will you find her for me?"

Nancy hesitated. Finding an person who had been missing for eleven years wouldn't be easy. The best she might be able to do would be to find evidence of the girl's death or maybe even nothing. Still, wasn't this what she wanted? The perfect challenge, a case that would require all of her skills and connections. A case that would absorb her in its intricate details and clues. Nancy felt herself getting excited at the prospect. Quickly she made her decision.

"Alright. Tell me all about it," Nancy said, leaning back in her chair and poising her pencil on the paper.

"Next exit. Why am I not driving, by the way?" Joe Hardy leaned back in the passenger seat, putting up his feet onto the dashboard.

"Don't do that," Frank said automatically, steering the car into the right lane. Joe huffed, but put his feet back onto the ground. "And I'm driving because this is my car, remember?"

"As if I could ever forget," Joe muttered, his blue eyes glittering mischievously. Frank shot him a look, taking one hand from the steering wheel in order to run it through his dark hair.

"Let's go over what we know again."

"Again?" Joe groaned, shifting restlessly. Sitting for hours in a car was bad enough, even without the fact that he wasn't driving. "Do we have to?" he whined, staying true to younger brother form.

"Yes." Frank took the exit, slowing the car down as they drove down the exit ramp. _Welcome to Chicago._

"Senator William Allen called us a week ago because he was receiving threats as attempts to alter his political decisions. He was walking home from a meeting with the governor of Chicago two days ago, he called us in a state of great distress."

"I picked up and he said 'There's not much time, it's...' and then he was silent," Frank put in.

"He was found on the street, and pronounced dead from a heart attack," Joe finished. The young men fell silent.

"It wasn't a heart attack," Frank said grimly. "Whoever was threatening him decided to finish him off." He turned the car into a hotel parking lot.

A little while later, the Hardy brothers were checked into the hotel and settling in their room. It was not the nicest place they had stayed, but it was clean and comfortable. It would make a good base for their investigations, Frank decided reflectively. There was only one thing wrong.

So far, no threats.

Frank dug through his backpack and pulled out his laptop.

"Seems pretty quiet," Frank commented.

"We just got here, bro," Joe smirked. "Already looking for danger?"

"You're talking to the guy who's saved your life so many times it isn't even funny."

"True," Joe admitted, breaking into a smile and sitting close to Frank so that he could see the laptop screen. "What's the plan?" he shifted restlessly, ready to get out and going.

"Alright, let's grab something to eat and head to the police headquarters to see if we can get the file on Senator Allen's death." Frank closed the window and for a second stared at his desktop background. _Shoot._ He had forgotten to change it in the rush of leaving. Quickly he accessed the settings and switched it from the smiling faces to a desert scenery, then took the original photo, dropped it in the trash and then emptied the file to internet oblivion. The action didn't do much to soothe the ache in his chest. Joe watched the action in silence.

"Frank, it wasn't working. You two were already growing apart, and you both knew it."

Frank sighed at his brother's words, closing the laptop with a snap.

"I know, but it still hurts, you know? Callie..." he paused at the name. "Callie and I were together for a long time and now..." Frank stuffed the laptop in his backpack and pulled it onto his shoulders. "It's hard."

"Yeah," Joe agreed, knowing there wasn't much to say.

"Anyways, ready to go?"

"Let's do it," Joe jumped up and grabbed his bag. Frank followed more slowly, shutting the door firmly behind him.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Okay, back again :) A huge thanks to those who reviewed! Those comments and follows totally made my day! I know this chapter isn't the most exciting thing out there, but please bear with me. After all, mysteries can't be all action and danger. As always, please let me know what you think! There will be another update in a couple days.**_

_**I do not own anything related to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. (Do I have to write this at the top of every chapter?)**_

Nancy leaned back in the soft chair, feeling perfectly happy. She had a steaming latte, the quiet relaxed coffee shop atmosphere, and a challenging case in front of her. For a moment she just lounged in the feeling. Then she took a sip of coffee, opened her laptop and began working.

Quickly Nancy accessed the online file on Violet's disappearance and search effort. _Thanks Chief Potters!_ she thought, smiling as she thought of her friend from college, a new police chief in Chicago. He had been happy to give her access to the files. Jotting down notes furiously, she noted that if alive, Violet would be 32 years old. She glanced at the picture Nicholas had given her, of Violet when she was 21. The girl had a simple, beautiful appearance with thick black hair, tan skin, and large dark eyes. Still, Nancy couldn't help but think that Violet looked a little... scared in the photo.

Nancy went back to the police file, which stated that Violet had gone missing on a Monday night, and had last been seen by her friends at the local community college. There were a couple statements, one from Nicholas, another from a school friend, and one more from a police who was on the investigation. Nancy wrote down the name of the friend and the police officer. It was a good start. She turned back to the file, writing down Violet's address and other important pieces of information. When she had gotten all she could from the report, Nancy shut her laptop and looked over her notes. The police station was only a couple blocks away. She would start there.

"Hello, is Officer Barton here?" Nancy asked the clerk at the station. The middle aged woman looked her over briefly. "I'm Nancy Drew, private investigator," Nancy added quickly, seeing the woman's hesitation. She pulled out an ID and showed it.

"Alright, he's the second office on the left," the woman agreed.

"Thank you." Nancy walked down the hall quickly and knocked on the door with the panel **Officer Barton**. After a moment, a clean shaven older man opened the door. He was solidly built with blue eyes and dark red-brown hair, and the neat blue uniform topped off the image.

"Officer Barton?"

"Yes? How can I help you?" Officer Barton's face fell into an easy smile.

"I was wondering if I could ask you a couple questions," Nancy said, wondering how he would respond to the request.

"Come on in," Officer Barton held the door open for her. Quickly she sat down on a chair, pulling out her notebook and a pencil. "What would you like to ask me about?"

"First of all, I am Nancy Drew, private investigator," Nancy paused. A thrill rushed through her every time she said it; after years of training and college, she still couldn't believe that she had her dream job as a detective. "I wanted to ask you if you remember anything about the case of Violet Lopez? She disappeared eleven years ago and you were put on her case."

Officer Barton's good natured face morphed into an expression of concentration, but Nancy could have sworn that she saw a flash of fear for a second.

"Violet Lopez?" he mused. "I'm sorry. I don't remember. It was so long ago, I'm afraid you're not going to find much." This was said in a dismissive tone, and Officer Barton promptly stood up, signaling that the conversation was over. "Sorry I couldn't be much help, Investigator."

"That's alright. Will you let me know if you end up remembering anything?" Nancy pulled out a business card and handed it to the officer, thoughts spinning wildly.

"Of course," Officer Barton's face relaxed and he held open the door for her. Nancy began to step out, but suddenly Officer Barton closed the door again. She turned, alarmed, but before she could cry out, the man began to whisper. "Detective, you might want to leave this case alone. I don't remember much about it, but I can tell you one thing. One of Chicago's most powerful mafia groups was backing the closure of the case. I don't know what Violet Lopez was involved in, but you want to stay out of it." Officer Barton's voice was dead serious.

"But..." Nancy opened her mouth to word one of her thousands of questions.

"That's all I'll tell you, and I probably shouldn't have even said that." Officer Barton's face took on a stubborn expression, and Nancy knew it was the end of the conversation.

"Well, thank you."

"Don't thank me if this gets you into trouble," was the gruff reply.

"Trust me, trouble is one of my most frequently visited locations," Nancy grinned. The officer seemed to relax a bit, and he opened the door.

Nancy smiled and stepped out, running straight into a young man who was walking quickly by. Nancy tumbled back and was only saved from a disgraceful fall when the man quickly grabbed her shoulder in a stabilizing grip.

"I'm so sorr..." Nancy stopped as she found herself face to face with Frank Hardy.

For a second, Frank and Nancy just stared at each other in silent surprise.

"Nancy Drew!" Joe trotted up behind Frank, breaking the silence. "What are you doing here?" he grinned.

"Yeah, what a surprise!" Frank added, letting go of Nancy's shoulder. He noted that she was looking as good as ever, blue eyes sparkling and strawberry blond hair tumbling gracefully around her heart shaped face. Pleasure filled him at seeing his old friend. The last time they had seen each other had been a while ago, and now he realized that he really had missed her unique personality and easy companionship.

"I'm here on a case. How about you two?" Nancy smiled.

"Yup. We..." Joe trailed off noticing that Officer Barton was watching them.

"We're here to look into some files on a case," Frank quickly jumped in. He still couldn't believe that Nancy Drew was in front of him. They had both been teenagers when they had last seen each other...

"We don't provide access to files to the public," Officer Barton cut into his thoughts with a rather curt tone.

"We're not the public," Frank argued. "We're private investigators," he corrected, holding out his ID.

"Doesn't matter. We can't provide you with information that is confidential. Not unless you have the paperwork from a certified investigation company."

"We _are_ a certified investigation company..." Joe's blood was beginning to rush as he felt his temper rise with impatience.

"Why don't you two come back later? I'm dying to catch up with you," Nancy said suddenly.

"No, we have to get this stupid..." Joe began furiously.

"Sure. Let's go, Joe," Frank said at the same time, grabbing his brother's arm and dragging him out.

"Frank, why are you giving in," Joe hissed angrily.

Frank just pulled his blond haired brother along after Nancy. He had seen the quick wink she had shot him and knew that he would just have to trust her.

_**Thoughts? Advice? Complaints? Super nice compliments? Please review and let me know!**_


	4. Chapter 3

_**Hello again, and thanks for all the kind reviews! Totally makes it worth it to try to work through some future plot issues! And good to know about Joe-whopping, I had not been aware of that genre/term. On that subject, I promise there will eventually be action, but this is more about the case and mystery right now. So if you like that awesome, if not, hang in there. As always, I love getting feedback!**_

_**I don't own Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys... Too bad, right?  
**_

"Here. Just type in the file you need, and if you don't know exactly what it is filed under, try the key name," Nancy said, pushing her laptop towards the brothers. They were back in the coffee shop, Nancy cradling a warm latte in her hands.

"Nan, you're a goddess," Joe breathed as he looked at the data files. "How on earth did you get access to this?"

"I have a couple contacts here and there," Nancy grinned charmingly. She still couldn't believe that she was once again with the Hardy boys. Joe was still as charmingly handsome as always, with his blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. And Frank was looking pretty good as well, his dark eyes were more solemn than Joe, which was only to be expected. Both were muscular and obviously fit, matured from the teenagers they had used to be.

"How have you been Nan?" Frank asked, falling easily back to her nickname, leaning back in his chair as Joe continued searching on the computer. To her surprise, Nancy found herself stumbling for an answer. _How was she? Good? Heartbroken? Excited for a case?_

"I've been better, and I've been worse," Nancy decided with a grin. Frank laughed, serious face crinkling in a smile.

"Always a riddle," he commented.

"Tell me about your case," Nancy said eagerly.

Quickly, Frank filled her in on the death of Senator Allen. Nancy then told him about her case of Sophie Lopez.

"She's been missing for eleven years?" Joe's voice was incredulous. "All the clues are going to be ice cold."

"I know, but I picked up some important information from Officer Barton. Apparently her disappearance somehow was related to the local mafia, they backed up the dropping of the case. Ever heard of these guys?" Nancy asked hopefully.

"Nan, after eleven years, those guys might not even be around anymore," Frank said slowly.

"Dude, that's not what she wanted to hear," Joe punched his brother lightly on the shoulder.

"Well, it's probably true. But I have to try," Nancy said helplessly. Frank laughed, totally understanding the feeling. Suddenly Nancy's cell phone began ringing. Nancy glanced at the caller ID, and Frank noticed that the happiness in her eyes had dulled. She looked up with an empty smile. "Sorry boys, I have to take this one," she said apologetically, and stepped out of the coffee shop.

Frank watched Nancy walk out the door and then turned distractedly toward his work.

"I bet that was Ned," he commented.

"Whoa, really? She didn't look too happy, whoever it was," Joe frowned. "Maybe they broke up."

"Why would they break up? Nan and Ned have been together for forever. They're both great people." Frank ran a hand through his dark hair.

"All that doesn't mean they can't break up, I mean..." Joe tilted his head, looking uncharacteristically serious.

_Just look at me and Callie_, Frank filled in Joe's thought. Was it possible that Nancy and Ned went through the same thing as him and Callie?

And was he feeling _happy_ that Nancy might have broken up with Ned? Frank frowned at that thought.

"We don't even know if that was Ned calling," Frank dismissed the conversation, and threw himself into his work.

"Hey, Ned?" Nancy leaned against the brick wall near the shop. Pedestrians were briskly walking by, but the street was relatively quiet.

"Nancy." Ned's deep voice sounded slightly tinny in the cell phone.

"What's up?" Nancy attempted to keep her voice light. Still, she couldn't help but think back to their argument... the hurtful things Ned had said...

_"Your job is all you care about Nancy! You're just one workaholic. And I'm tired of being put on the back burner! It's always all about you and your mysteries!"_

"Hey, I know we haven't talked since we broke up, but I've really been thinking..."

Nancy's heart sunk. _Please don't say it..._

"I know we have issues, but we can at least be friends. I don't want to completely lose our relationship. Being...romantically involved wasn't working, but we can still be friends, right?"

Nancy breathed a sigh of relief. When she and Ned had broken up, it seemed like the right choice, and she was grateful that he didn't want to get back together. Although part of her would always miss their close relationship, she had been relieved when it had ended.

"There's a lot of hurt Ned, both sides. We can't just ignore that," Nancy warned.

"I know. And it doesn't have to be suddenly we're best friends again. I just wanted to let you know that I still want to be friends with you. This not talking stuff isn't really working out for me. We can work through what happened slowly."

Nancy felt a burden lift.

"Alright. That sounds good. But I might not have a bunch of time to talk..."

"Nanc, where are you?"

"I'm in Chicago on a case."

There was a brief silence. Nancy squeezed her eyes shut, waiting. Her cases and dedication to her job had often been a conflict. The conversation had been going so well...

"Okay. That's cool." Ned's voice was slightly short, but Nancy let it go, relieved to avoid an argument.

"Yeah, actually I should go, Frank and Joe are probably wondering where I am..."

"Frank and Joe? Frank and Joe Hardy?" Ned's tone was even, controlled. Nancy cursed herself for letting that one slip. She didn't need to have this conversation with Ned again.

"Yeah. I ran into them this morning." Nancy didn't feel as though she owed him more of an explanation, and fell silent, waiting.

"Alright, well I better leave you to that. Say hi to them for me." Ned's tone was stiff and frigid. _Jealous that I can have other friends that are guys, Ned?_ Nancy thought grimly.

"Okay, well talk to you later," Nancy said instead, avoiding the argument.

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

Nancy closed the cell phone and tucked it into her pocket. For a moment she sagged against the wall, letting it support her, and then she stood up straight and walked back into the coffee shop. Frank was busily writing down notes, and Joe was leaning back in his chair fast asleep. Nancy sat down quietly.

"Hey, sorry, that was Ned," she smiled apologetically. "We broke up right before I came here," she told Frank quietly, not wanting to have the awkwardness of trying to subtly tell him. _Better just to put it straight out there in the open._

"Nancy, I'm so sorry," Frank's eyes widened with surprise and concern. He gently touched her arm. "How are you holding up?"

"Better than I had expected," Nancy admitted, eyes suddenly stinging at the kindness of Frank's gesture. It _was_ hard. After always having Ned to lean on, and his affection to reassure her, it felt like there was a gap in her life without him. There were so many things she missed.

"I guess we're in the same boat then," Frank said slowly, unsure if it was the right time to tell Nancy about him and Callie. But he had already started, so he barged ahead. "Callie and I recently split up too."

Now it was Nancy's turn to be sympathetic. "I'm sorry Frank," she said softly, blue eyes compassionate. "It definitely hurts, especially after being together so long, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Frank agreed, a rush of grief flooding him as he let his thoughts stray to Callie. Briefly he wondered what had happened between Nancy and Ned. "It feels kind of strange to be honest."

"I know what you mean. Part of me is really upset, but another part is... almost relieved," Nancy confided, slim hands encircling her now-lukewarm coffee. "So how's the case going? Find anything interesting?" she changed the subject.

"Not much. We're probably going to go check out the location tomorrow. Other than that, I don't see many leads."

"Any theories?"

"Well we know that Senator Allen's death has something to do with the people who were threatening him. He received several threats that warned him if he didn't drop out of reelection for senate, he would 'pay the price'. He didn't drop out..."

"So he paid the price," Nancy finished grimly. "Why would someone want him to drop out so badly?"

"We're working on that," Frank sighed.

_**Let me know what you think! Liked it? Absolutely hated it? Thought that I should have whopped Joe on the head? Whatever it is, leave me a review! :)**_


	5. Chapter 4

_**Hey everyone again! I proudly present... CHAPTER FOUR! I know you are all as hyped about this as I am, I can practically hear your cries of relief and joy from where I'm sitting with my laptop. Be assured, the chapter is here, and now your life may have purpose again.**_

_**On a more serious note, please review! Also, for the fifth time, I don't own the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. I do own a gorgeous cat though. But somehow I don't think people seeking for lawsuits would be interested in that...  
**_

Nancy distractedly parked her car in front of a cute looking apartment complex. She had parted ways with Frank and Joe the previous night, both following a lead on their cases. Still, they had decided to meet up for dinner, and Nancy was looking forward to it.

_Focus!_ she ordered herself, getting out of the car and warily looking around. Quickly she glanced at her notebook, then found door 310, and knocked loudly.

The door opened almost immediately, and Nancy found herself face to face with an attractive young woman. She was holding an adorable little baby boy, and a little girl was peeking out the door.

"Amanda Harding?" Nancy ventured. The woman smiled, although her eyes looked around warily.

"Come on in Nancy. I've been dying to talk to you since I got that phone call from you about Violet," Amanda said. A little while later, the two women were sitting in a cozy little living room.

"How did you know Violet Lopez?" Nancy began.

"We were friends at the community college, we met freshman year and were friends after that. We were hoping to share an apartment junior year, before..." Amanda trailed off and her smile faltered.

"Before Violet disappeared," Nancy finished. "What do you know about her disappearance? Was there anything wrong, was Violet acting different at all?"

"Yes..." Amanda said slowly. "She came to school late, looking very agitated. I tried to get her to tell me what was the matter, but she wouldn't say anything. Then that night she disappeared, and that was the last I saw of her. I heard she was most likely killed in a mugging," Amanda said quietly.

"So you don't know why she was upset? Was it anything at home?"

"Well, Violet was living with her uncle, but she really wanted to get away from there."

_Wait a minute..._ Nancy frowned.

"She wanted to get away from her uncle?"

"I don't know. She didn't like being dependent on him. That's why she was so excited to live in our own apartment."

"Other than you, did she have many friends? Anybody who would know more about her?"

"I think I was her closest friend. Violet was always pretty quiet, and I pretty much stuck with her."

"Was there anything strange at all, anything, having to do with Violet?" Nancy asked, desperate for a clue.

"Hmm," Amanda stopped to think. "Well, sometimes when we were at Violet's house, there would be strange men that came to talk to her uncle. She said it was part of his work or something. That's all I can think of." Amanda ran a hand through her thick brown hair. "If there's a possibility that she's alive...When Violet disappeared, it was like part of had died..." Amanda's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry," Nancy murmured sympathetically, already running through any possible explanations. The only hope that Violet was still alive was basically grounded in the fact that a body had not been found. And Nancy knew that wasn't much.  
"Will you tell me if you find any information?" Amanda asked. Touched by her compassion, Nancy agreed. She was just a little afraid she wouldn't find anything.

Back in the coffee shop, Nancy decided to go over Violet Lopez's file. Absentmindedly, she typed in the date of her disappearance and accidently clicked on the wrong file. She was about to go back, but naturally curious, ended up looking over the case. A young man, Christopher Smith had disappeared on the same night as Violet, and his family had reported him missing after he had failed to come home for a dinner party. The case was closed about a month later when Christopher Smith had called his family to let them know he had moved away for unstated reasons. _Interesting._

Nancy's phone began ringing, and she was almost tempted to leave it, worried that it might be Ned again. However, glancing at the caller id, she quickly opened it.

"Hey Daddy," she smiled.

"Nancy," Carson's voice was a sigh of relief. "How's the case?"

"Pretty slow right now," Nancy grimaced. "What's wrong Dad?" She could hear the worry in her father's tone.

"Nothing. I just wanted to check up on you. We had a pretty interesting day at the office."

"You did?"

"Remember the uncooperative criminal I'm working with on a case?"

"Yeah. Did something happen?"

"Last night he died of a heart attack. So it looks like the case is over, and I don't have to worry about that anymore." There was some regret in Carson's voice.

"You're sure it was a heart attack?" Nancy lowered her voice. She could hear her father's laugh, and it made her suddenly miss him terribly.

"Always the detective Nancy. Yes, the coroner confirmed it. Anyways, I should go back to some of that paperwork, I just wanted to check on you."

"Okay Dad," Nancy smiled. "Love you!"

"Love you too. Talk to you later!"

Closing her phone, Nancy decided that something was up with her father. Usually he wasn't so concerned. And then there was the whole fishy thing about his defendant dying...

_One mystery at a time, girl,_ Nancy reminded herself, putting aside those thoughts. She went back to Violet's file and looked over her notes. She had a suspicion that Violet's disappearance had something to do with her agitation that night. If only she could figure out why Violet was upset that night. A gust of air suddenly blew one of her papers off the table as the door of the coffee shop opened, letting some wind into the practically empty coffee shop. Nancy quickly lunged for the paper. Suddenly she heard a conversation which made her blood freeze.

_"I got it boss. I'll do it soon; the Hardy boys will be out of the way before they can get anywhere. Yes, I know, make it look like an accident."_ There was the distinct clap of a cell phone being shut. Nancy crouched frozen on the ground, knowing that she was shielded from view from the shop door by her large comfy chair. Slowly she peeked around at the register where the man was ordering a drink. As he turned, Nancy quickly memorized his appearance. Tall, muscular, blond, angled cheek bones and prominent indented chin.

When he glanced her way, she made sure she looked busy on her laptop. The man took his coffee and headed out of the shop. Nancy quickly slipped out after him. She needed to know what was going on. And what the man was planning to do with her friends.

"There's absolutely nothing," Joe groaned. "Whoever threatened Senator Allen was a professional. All the phone calls he received from them aren't traceable, none of the notes had any finger prints... This wasn't an amateur working here."

"Relax, we can still check out the site of his death," Frank said uneasily. The whole case was putting him on edge. Usually they would be over their heads in action by this point, but this time... nothing. Sighing, Frank hoped that Nancy was doing better than him. He was looking forward to seeing her at dinner. Still, it was strange to be together and be working on different cases.

"Thinking about Nancy?" Joe grinned. Frank threw a pillow at him.

"Dude, lay off!" he grimaced. Ever since running into Nancy at the police station, Joe had been on his case about her. "You know we're just friends!" Quickly he checked that thought. Yes, they were just friends. They had a close, almost intimate history of working on cases together, but even their friendship had been put on pause as they had pursued different colleges.

"Come on Frank. Let's be honest. Callie is out of the picture. Ned is out of the picture. What are you waiting for?!" Joe exclaimed, dodging another flying pillow.

"Joe, Nancy's my friend! I'm not just going to take the first chance that comes along to ask her out. I want to respect her and our friendship..."

"Frank, that's the problem with you. You just think everything through way too carefully instead of taking action. If you like her, then ask her out."

"I never said that I like her that way. Besides even if I did, she just broke up, and I'm not that big of a jerk to drag her back into a relationship right away. Also, there's nothing wrong with thinking things through. It's better than flying off into danger and then having to have your butt saved." Frank's temper began to rise. "Besides, if we're going to talk about being responsible, let me point out that you're the one who lost your cell phone.

"Oh yeah? Well..." Joe began to retort and was cut off by Frank's phone beeping. Frank dug it out of his pocket and opened it up.

_One new text message from Nancy Drew:_

_b careful Frank, someone's after u and Joe_

Instantly his argument with Joe was forgotten.

_Nan, what's going on?_ he texted back quickly.

"What was it?" Joe asked, standing up.

"Nan just texted that someone's after us," Frank said grimly, hoping that Nancy would text him back. But the phone was silent.

**_Just a tad bit more exciting than it has been before (hopefully)! Let me know what you think and press the review button in order to make this writer very happy!_**


	6. Chapter 5

_**Hey everyone! First of all...**_

_**Thanks so much for all the reveiws! Totally make my day! A big thanks also to those who favorited or are following the story! Thank you for all the nice comments! Definitely makes me happy :) And since it's almost Thanksgiving, I'll be cheesy and say I'm thankful for all my readers... (aww...) Which reminds me, I'll be updating again some time after Thanksgiving, so everybody who celebrates the holiday, have a lovely turkey day!**_

_**Also, I apologize in advance that this chapter is a little shorter than the previous ones have been.  
**_

_**I own nothing with regard to the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew! If I did... well let's just say I wouldn't be writing here!**_

Nancy walked casually along the street, glancing at storefronts. The air was crisp and cold, and tasted of coming snow. The man was a couple feet in front of her, and gave no sign that he noticed that he was being followed. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, telling her that Frank had probably texted her back, but she ignored it.

The man was walking at a brisk pace, and finally stopped at a bicycle shop. Nancy paused in front of the next door noodle restaurant, pretending to read the menu, unsure of what to do. She couldn't risk going inside, but she was dying to see what was going on. Finally she decided to walk slowly by.

Putting one step in front of the other, Nancy looked straight forward, then took a slow glance in the shop. Her eyes widened, and she turned forward again, walking more quickly, until finally her walk became a run. She only stopped when she was a couple blocks away, resting against a wall as pedestrians rushed in every which way.

The man she had followed had been talking to none other than a fully suited Nicholas Lopez.

Nancy felt as though the world was spinning around her. _What the heck is going on?!_ One thing was for sure: Nicholas Lopez was not who he said he was. He had claimed that he was poor, saving up to pay for the investigation, and then he was in a bike shop in a full business suit, talking to a man who had been plotting her friend's deaths. This added a whole new dimension to Violet's case.

Lopez was definitely not off the list of possible causes of Violet's disappearance. But why would he hired a detective to find his niece if he was the reason she was gone?

Nancy quickly found a small coffee shop and pulled out her laptop. It was time to really crack down on the case. But she had almost no leads...

Suddenly she thought of Christopher Smith._ Nancy, don't be silly. Chicago is a big city. It wouldn't be surprising if two people went missing on the same night._

She ignored her rational thoughts and searched Christopher Smith on the web. She hadn't been able to find anything on Violet, but maybe she would have better luck with Christopher.

Thousands of search options popped up. Nancy groaned. This had to be the most inefficient way of trying to locate someone. Especially someone with the last name of Smith. She decided to switch to Google Images. Who was she kidding? It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. She was about to close the laptop when she noticed a photo of a man and a woman, about the right age. Clicking on it, she saw it was a newspaper article covering the presentation of a teaching award to a Christopher Smith in a Champaign, Illinois.

The woman in the photo had darker blond hair, cut short around her shoulders, but Nancy was used to seeing people in disguise. It was definitely Violet Lopez.

Frank's phone rang, and he quickly pounced on it.

"Hey, Frank?" Nancy's voice was slightly out of breath.

"Nancy! What's going on? Are you okay?" Frank asked quickly.

"I'm fine. I'm heading out to Champaign. I think I found Violet. But I think there's something sinister going on here, and our cases might be related. I heard someone discussing your death in a coffee shop!"

"What?!"

"I know. Someone's after you. But listen Frank, I've got to go, and I think I'm going to miss dinner. Just be careful, okay? Keep your eyes open."

"Of course. But Nancy, you're sure you're going to be okay too?" Frank lowered his voice.

"Don't worry about me," Nancy said lightly. "I'll call you later."

"Okay. Sounds good. Joe lost his cell phone..." Frank paused to shoot Joe a look. "So if you need to contact us..."

"I'll call you," Nancy finished. "Okay. Bye Frank."

"Bye Nancy."

The call dropped and Frank slowly put the phone back into his pocket, mentally making a note to charge it before it died.

"What'd she say?" Joe asked.

"Somebody's plotting our death, and our cases might somehow be connected. Be careful, and Nancy won't make it to dinner tonight," Frank summarized, glancing out the hotel window. The sky was grey, and a couple small flakes were drifting down. The forecast was a cold snowy night.

"Are you worried?"

"Well, I wish she would at least tell us what the heck is going on," Frank groaned, frustrated.

"She'll be fine," Joe assured his brother, sensing that it wasn't the time to tease. "That's Nancy for you, head over heels in a case and rushing off without a glance behind. The question is, what are _we _going to do. We have no leads, all our trails are cold. And now someone's after our heads, and we have no idea what's going on," Joe grimaced.

"Nancy said that our cases might be connected," Frank mused. Suddenly his eyes lit up. Joe met his gaze and his face slowly spread into a smile.

"Looks like we might want to do some investigating on Nicholas Lopez."

_**Please leave a review and make one person in this world a bit happier!**_


	7. Chapter 6

_**I'm back again! I know you all missed me :) A huge thanks to all my reviewers, especially my faithful followers! Sorry on the long wait for this update, from now on, I should be updating every couple days. Things are beginning to ramp up a bit, so let me know what you think!  
**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew (duh)**_

Nancy walked slowly up to the small white house. She still felt bad about lying to the school administrator about her true purpose for knowing Christopher Smith's location, but she had not had time to explain her real reasons. _This is it. _Either her investigation had led her to right place or not. Excitement raced through her as she realized she might actually find out what was going on. And maybe it would help lead her to figure out who was after the Hardy boys.

Thinking about Frank and Joe caused a slight twinge of worry to shoot through her, but she pushed it aside. The Hardy brothers were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves.

Taking a deep breath, Nancy stuck out her hand and rang the doorbell of the house. Inside, a dog began barking, and the squeal of a young child could be heard. After a few moments, the door opened. It was the woman from the photo, blond haired with dark brown eyes. In her arm, she held a toddler.

"Violet Lopez," Nancy said. The woman's eyes widened.

"I'm Chloe Smith," she insisted after a moment. "You must have the wrong house."

Her wide eyes and tense posture made Nancy know that she was afraid.

"Violet, I need to speak to you. I'm not here to turn you in or put you in danger. But I need to know why you're hiding," Nancy said calmly. "Please," she said softly, lightly touching Violet's arm with her hand. Violet seemed to deflate.

"Alright. Come on in."

Nancy waited until they were seated to begin asking questions.

"Why did you leave Chicago, Violet?" Nancy asked. Violet's dark eyes filled with tears.

"Do you promise not to reveal my identity?"

"I will keep it secret," Nancy promised.

"I am the niece of Nicholas Lopez, and I moved in with him when I was fifteen when my parents died in a car crash. I knew my uncle was involved in shady work, because we always had disguised people moving in and out of our house."

"What would these people do?" Nancy leaned forward, shamelessly interested. Clues were beginning to point more and more towards the initial catalyst of the case: Lopez.

"I was never quite sure. But it wasn't until my junior year of college that I realized what was going on." Violet stopped, pulling her arms closer around her chest.

"Tell me what happened the day you disappeared," Nancy suggested. Violet nodded.

"I was still living at my uncle's home and attending the community college in town. I was about to walk in the house on afternoon because I had forgotten my books, when I heard my uncle talking with another man. I listened long enough to realize that my uncle was the boss of a secret street gang. They were threatening store owners, policemen, government officials in order to get money and power. I tried to sneak away, but my uncle noticed as I was trying to leave. He knew I had heard him."

Violet paused, eyes haunted. "He pulled out a gun, and I took off running. They caught me by one of the wharfs. I got shot in the shoulder, and I dove into the water." One of Violet's hands went to her shoulder subconsciously. Nancy stared in astonishment, trying to absorb the meaning of Violet's words.

"I managed to hide under one of the docks until I was sure that they had given up looking for me. They thought that I was dead for sure, and I probably would have been. I was losing blood fast, and I could barely grasp onto the dock pillar, half submerged. Then this guy was walking on the dock above me. I knew I was about to die, so I took the chance. I called out to him, and he immediately dove into the water. I was only half conscious but I managed to tell him that nobody could know that I was alive, because I was afraid that my uncle would find me. Christopher somehow got me out of Chicago and anonymously into a hospital. I've been undercover ever since."

For a moment it was quiet. Nancy's page in her notebook was filled with notes, but she couldn't believe what she had just heard. _Nicholas Lopez was not who he said he was._

"And Christopher?"

"We got married after a couple months." Violet's eyes lit up. "So how did you find me?"

"Your uncle hired me. But I began to realize that your uncle might have been part of the reason that you disappeared. He doesn't know that you're here, and I plan to keep it that way. So you're saying that he is a criminal gang leader?"

"Yes." Violet nodded.

"That's bad," Nancy murmured. She stood up and began to pace. "So why did he hire me to find you?" Suddenly she remembered something. "Wait, you said his group would threaten government officials?"

Violet nodded.

Nancy reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Frank's number, but went straight to voicemail. _He probably forgot to charge it like usual._

Nancy almost smiled as she thought about how calm, focused, intelligent Frank always forgot to charge his cell phone. The familiarity of his habits surprised her. After so many years, she still remembered the little things.

"What are you going to do?" Violet asked.

"I have to get back to Chicago," Nancy decided.

"Okay, according to this police record, Nicholas Lopez stated he was a businessman at All Around Enterprises," Frank read off his screen. Joe was eating a bag of chips on the other hotel bed. "But I can't find any information about All Around Enterprises... it looks like it doesn't exist."

"That's not suspicious or anything," Joe scoffed, crumpling the chip bag and throwing it into the trash before coming over to see what Frank was looking at.

"This guy doesn't have records anywhere. Either he's an illegal, or this is his alibi."

"If he was an illegal immigrant, he wouldn't go to the police," Joe reasoned. "They would have found out." He paused. "Did Nancy say how he got in contact with her?"

"Just a phone call and then a meeting in a diner. I think she has his phone number though. We should ask her how he's paying when we see her." Frank frowned at the screen.

"Let's grab something to eat and get back to this," Joe suggested, mindful of his growling stomach.

"Dude, you just ate a whole bag of chips," Frank pointed out, reluctantly closing his laptop.

"That was an appetizer."

"You're impossible."

"And you're focusing too much on the case. Give it some space, step back a bit, and we'll probably find something," Joe suggested, already pulling on his jacket.

Frank distractedly nodded, his mind still on the clues- or lack thereof.

The main question, Nancy thought, was why on earth did Nicholas Lopez hire her to find Violet? Did he know that his niece was actually alive?

Absentmindedly, she turned on her windshield wipers, struggling to drive through the whitening snow. She wondered if Frank and Joe had found any interesting information. But she had a feeling that there wasn't much that would beat her discovery that the man who had hired her was number one on their wanted list. However, Nancy also felt a sliver of worry. From Violet's story, she knew that Lopez would stop at nothing to bury his secrets. Even if that meant burying two young detectives.

The thought made her drive a little bit faster. If only she could get ahold of Frank... But his cell phone was going straight to voicemail, and Nancy knew that Joe had lost his. If Lopez was actually after them, then they were in more danger than they realized.

Suddenly the car hit an icy patch, and Nancy struggled to keep control of her vehicle. The car began to fishtail, thankfully staying within the lane. After a breathtaking moment of sliding, she regained control, slowing down considerably, her heart beating rapidly. _Gosh, the roads are horrible. _Nancy took a deep breath and focused on driving. It wasn't easy- she had so many questions. _Was Lopez the same man that the Hardys were after? Did he kill that senator? Why?_ It was probable that the senator was killed by another organization, especially in a large city such as Chicago…

_The road. Focus on the road._ Nancy told herself. She took an early exit, eager to get off the highway, ending up on a very deserted road.  
-

"Okay, where to?" Frank revved the engine.

"Man, this weather is terrible for driving," Joe looked into the swirling snow. "I don't care. Somewhere close, I guess."

"Alright. Keep your eyes open for restaurants," Frank said, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Stepping on the accelerator, the car leapt forward.

"Whoa!" Joe was thrown back in his seat. The car kept accelerating forward. "Frank! What are you doing!" The car swerved dangerously through traffic. The speedometer slowly was going up. "Frank!"

"Joe, the accelerator's stuck!" Frank gasped, sweat beading on his forehead as he focused on keeping control of the car. Luckily, the streets were deserted due to the snowstorm. "The brake isn't working." Frank met Joe's eyes for an instant. Both understood that their car would be carrying them to their deaths. Joe could feel the icy claw of fear beginning to wrap around his heart.

"I'm going to try to aim for something soft." Frank hissed as the car continued to zoom forward.

"What?!"

"It's the only way, Joe! Much longer and we won't have any chances at survival!" Frank's voice rose to a shout, his face pale and tense. "Here we go!"

"Love you, Frank," Joe said, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Way to be cheesy," Frank managed a weak smile, which Joe returned. Frank turned the car, steering it straight towards a huge snow bank. Then the car hit an icy patch and skidded off the road, rolling once, twice, then coming to a silent standstill in the falling snow.

**_Ha ha ha! My first evil cliffie! And no, I have no idea if it is possible to tamper with a car to make it do that. But let's just assume for the sake of suspense and stories that it can happen. _**

**_Let me know what you think! Click the review button! Go on! Do it!_**


	8. Chapter 7

_**Here we go again! Another chapter!**_

_**Okay, reviewers, you all are awesome. Moustachelover14, you always make me laugh :) And the rest of you always make my day as well! (Thanks for the info on Champaign btw, maybe I'll go back and add some details from it) The one thing that I'm sad about is that I've been planning out this story, and I've realized that it's not going to be very long. Like maybe as short as ten chapters. I was hoping it would be a little longer, but it is what it is... At least it's a lesson for next time!  
**_

_**I own nothing, I just play with the characters from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys... And I'm getting tired of writing this disclaimer.  
**_

Nancy was driving along, when suddenly she saw a crashed silver car on the side of the road, sticking out of a snowbank. Nancy instantly stopped her car, got out into the cold storm, and ran across the street towards the car, already pulling out her cell phone. Suddenly she realized that the car looked familiar.

"Oh my... Frank! Joe!" Nancy yelled, fighting her way through the biting winds and knee high snow. The car seemed as though it rolled, with dents even on the roof, but ended up right side up. She gulped at the huge dents in the metal and shattered windows.

_Whoever was after the Hardys finally got to them. And I couldn't do anything to stop it._ Nancy's chest was tight with fear and guilt. She struggled through the snowbank to get closer to the car. _What if..._

Nancy, heart racing, tried to yank open the passenger's side door. It was stuck. She sprinted to the other side, which to her relief, came open. Frank was slumped over the steering wheel, blood running from a gash on his forehead. Beside him, Joe was also unconscious, but in the dim light, Nancy couldn't tell how badly he had been hurt. "Frank," Nancy said urgently, touching Frank gently on the shoulder. The man groaned, but his eyes fluttered slightly. Nancy bit her lip, fighting panic. _They have to be okay!_

"I thought I told you to finish them off!" An angry voice suddenly was suddenly blown at Nancy by the wild wind. "Block off the street. I already searched them, they don't have any means of communication. At least, somebody forgot to charge his phone. If nobody finds the car, they'll be frozen before morning."

Nancy's blood froze. _Nicholas Lopez._ So he was involved after all. Nancy hesitated for a split second, then decided she wasn't going to be able to escape. Frantically, she tore the cell phone out of her pocket and placed it in Frank's limp hand. Then she quickly moved away from the door after shutting it softly.

"What do you think you're doing here?"

Nancy turned to face Nicholas Lopez.

Although she knew that he was a criminal, she wasn't prepared for the drastic transformation he had undergone since she had last seen him as a poor homely uncle. Now Nicholas' dark hair was carefully slicked back, his dark eyes hard as steel. He wore a dark suit, complete with two shiny black shoes resting on the white snow.

"Nicholas, please! My friends need help!" Nancy cried, deciding to act oblivious to his true identity. Perhaps he wouldn't guess that she already knew about his involvement in the crash.

"Ah, Miss Drew," Nicholas sighed, turning to face her. "I'm afraid you've witnessed too much."

Nancy tensed, but realized too late that there was someone behind her. Before she could turn, something crashed into the back of her head, and the snow covered world faded to black.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The air was cold, the steering wheel beneath him was cold, _he _was cold. Frank groaned and made an effort to open his eyes, but found the world spinning around him. Instead he closed his eyes, resting in the darkness, trying to figure out what had happened. _The car. The crash._ And somewhere mixed in was Nancy's voice.

His fingers tightened around the cool metal which was pressed against his left hand. Frank forced his eyes open again. A cell phone. A wave of nausea overcame him, but after a moment he managed to move himself to a more upright position.

"Joe?" Frank moaned. There was no response. A rush of adrenaline fueled his movement as Frank forced himself to turn. He could barely make out his brother's outline in the darkness. With a trembling hand, he reached up and flipped the light switch, which by some miracle, still worked. The sight made his blood run cold. Joe was slumped back in the seat, blond hair matted with sticky red, his face pale as the snow blowing outside. "Joe. C'mon," Frank clumsily reached to touch his brother's shoulder. Once again, there was no response. A surge of fear rushed through Frank and he quickly felt for a pulse, and was relieved to find a faint one. Frank gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the pain in his head. The cell phone was cold in his hand.

Somehow with numb fingers he managed to flip the phone open. On the screen was a picture of Nancy and her father Carson.

_Nancy!_ How on earth did Nancy's cell phone wind up in his hand?

Now was not the time to think about that. Joe needed help. _Fast._ Frank carefully dialed 911 on the cell phone, fervently hoping there was reception.

"Hello, what is your emergency?"

ooooooooooooooooooo

"I've got to see him! I told you, I'm fine!" Frank jerked the IV out of his arm without even wincing.

"Sir, you've suffered a severe concussion, and that gash needs stitches..." a harried looking doctor began.

"I'll sit through whatever you want, just let me see him first," Frank glowered. Even as the paramedics had taken Joe away, he had remained unresponsive. Frank hadn't even _seen_ him since he had been bundled into the ambulance. Joe could be dead for all he knew.

The thought brought up a wave of fear and anger, but outwardly, he kept his face calm. All that mattered right now was getting the doctor to let him see his brother.

"Alright." The doctor flipped through some pages on his clipboard. "He's due to begin the surgery process in about ten minutes, so you could probably see him for a minute or two. Mind you, he probably won't be conscious."

"Thank you," Frank breathed, following the doctor out of the room, relieved that they weren't making him sit in a wheelchair. It seemed like an endless walk through white corridors. "What's his condition?" Frank finally asked.

"Not sure. You'll have to ask the doctors who have been working with him."

Finally the doctor stopped at a door. He conversed with another doctor for a minute before allowing Frank in.

"It isn't good," the second doctor told Frank as they walked into the room. "He's going to undergo surgery in a minute or two. We're suspecting some damage to the heart and right lung... But he's stable for now."

"Is he going to pull through?" Frank could feel an icy chill running down his back. Joe couldn't...

"His chances are pretty good." The doctor stopped at a bed.

"Joe," Frank said, staring blankly at his brother. Joe's face looked generally unharmed, but his blond hair was matted with blood and there was a sheet over his chest, underneath which he suspected was an ugly wound. From the pale face and shallow, pained breathing, Frank could tell that his brother was seriously injured. "I swear, I'm going to find whoever messed with our car and..."

"Where's Nancy?"

Frank turned to see that Joe's eyes were open, bright blue against his pale skin.

"Joe! You're going to be okay," Frank quickly assured him.

"Frank, where's Nancy?" Joe asked again, his voice a murmur.

"I don't know. I know she was at the scene of the crash, because somehow her cell phone ended up in my hand. But there was no sign of her when I became conscious." For a second Frank felt a flood of worry for Nancy, then he focused on his brother.

"Dude, you need to find her." Joe shifted slightly and winced at the movement.

"Joe, I can't leave you..."

"Yes you can Frank. Listen, I'm safe and in good hands. Nancy could be in danger."

Frank felt as if he was being torn in two between his brother and his friend.

But Joe did have a point. And there was nothing he could do for his brother other than trust the doctors.

"Are you sure..."

"Frank, haven't you stalled here long enough?" Joe's expression became exasperated.

"If you die on me while I'm gone, I'm going to kill you," Frank finally growled. Joe grinned triumphantly.

"Right back at ya, bro."

**_It's getting so exciting! Ahhhh! Where's Nancy? (Don't look at me, how would I know?) _**

**_Leave a review and make someone happy!  
_**


	9. Chapter 8

_**Here we go again! To all that reviewed: You are awesome! Also big thanks for the constructive criticism. I've tried to improve a little bit, so you'll have to let me know if it's any better. To anybody that read: you are also awesome and I hope you are enjoying the story. This is my first fan fic, so I must say, I'm pretty impressed by how friendly all the reviews are! You all are so nice :)**_

_**Anyways, in case anybody thought that I own The Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, I must now very sadly correct you. I do not own them. Sorry to deceive you, because you all probably thought that I do own them. The Sad Truth is that I don't. Sorry. **_

"Cliff."

"I'm sorry boss, really. I don't know how _she_ got involved in all this. All my sources said that the Hardys came alone."

"They did, you idiot. The Hardys and Ms. Drew met up here. But _why,_" here Lopez's voice rose to a furious shout. "_Why did you not inform me that there was a connection between the Hardys and Drew!_"

"I... I didn't think it was important."

"You knew I hired Drew, and you felt it wasn't important that she knew the men we wanted to kill?" The question was asked calmly, but there was an undercurrent of tension, like a mouse trap waiting to be sprung. Cliff wrung his hands nervously. Nicholas turned slowly to face the wretched man, scar standing out on his calm face. "It isn't even worth it to try and hide the deaths of the Hardys and Drew. Only so much can be put up to coincidence. No. And they have parents in high places, chief detective, famous lawyer..." Nicholas's dark eyes were expressionless. "There's no way they're going to let this go."

"So, what'll we do?" Cliff was beginning to relax, relieved that the conversation had veered away from his mistakes.

"Not we," Nicholas murmured.

"What do you mean, boss?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooo

Nancy jerked into consciousness. Her head was killing her, and the world seemed to be a bit out of focus. Still, she was aware enough to know that she had heard a gunshot.

Forcing her eyes open and fighting a wave of nausea, Nancy looked at her surroundings. She seemed to be in some sort of huge open room, like a storeroom or warehouse. Around her were a couple desks and computers and filing cabinets. Her head spun and Nancy quickly closed her eyes again. She remembered... the car crash, the Hardys, something slamming into her head... Hold on...

_The Hardys!_ Fear filled her as she realized that they could be dead for all she knew.

_No. Don't think about that._ Nancy opened her eyes and ignored the pounding of her head. The back of her neck felt damp, and she knew it was probably blood.

Then Nancy noticed the crumpled figure lying some distance from her on the floor. She couldn't make out who it was, only that it was a medium sized male. _The gunshot._ Nancy quickly connected the sound with the result lying still before her. Seeing his reddish brown hair, Nancy realized it wasn't Joe or Frank with a sense of relief.

But it was still a person, and that fact made her feel a little sick. If anything, it didn't bode well for her. Apparently someone in the warehouse wasn't afraid of killing.

"Nancy Drew, I see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Nancy jerked with surprise, turning to find Nicholas Lopez crouched beside her. The movement quickly made her realize that her arms were handcuffed around some sort of support pillar. _Not a good position._ Even if she had a paper clip or bobby pin, she would have no way to get it out of her pocket or hair and into her hands.

"Excuse me if I don't say that today's a highlight of my trip," Nancy gritted her teeth. She turned her head to look at Nicholas. His dark hair was slightly unruly, and his dark brown eyes were almost black with hatred. The look on his face unsettled Nancy, allowing a sliver of fear to creep in.

"Trust me, I haven't enjoyed your interference either," Nicholas hissed, pale scar standing out against his dark face.

"You're the one who hired me," Nancy glared, and was rewarded with a blow to her jaw. Head spinning, she sucked in her breath, refusing Nicholas the pleasure of seeing her in pain.

"Now, because of you and those _Hardys_, I have to abandon ship. Do you know how much work I've put into this operation?" Nicholas seethed, pacing in front of Nancy, not even glancing over the body which was lying a ways away on the floor.

"So sorry the criminal life isn't going the way you hoped." Nancy knew it was dumb, but she couldn't bite back the comment. Nicholas kicked her in the side, hard, causing an explosion of pain. Nancy bit her lip. _If only she could figure out why this lunatic had hired her..._

Suddenly something clicked.

"My dad," she said, thinking back to her previous conversation with her dad. Nicholas stopped his pacing. "My dad was a lawyer in the case of one of your gang members. You hired me so that you could have me near to threaten my dad if the criminal case didn't go the way you wanted. Then you got wind that your fellow member was going to crack and spill the beans on you, so you killed him instead of threatening my dad." Nancy's eyes widened.

"It would have worked, if not for the Hardys getting mixed up with you," Nicholas growled. "The case was a dead end, just a distraction for you. Eventually you would have given up and left, none the wiser of who I really was. Except then the Hardys and..."

"What do you mean, it was a dead end case?" Nancy ventured.

"You want to know what happened to Violet Lopez, my dear niece?" Nicholas leaned towards Nancy, and she fought the instinct to draw back. "I killed her. That's why you couldn't find anything on her. And I know how to cover up a crime."

Nancy realized that the man didn't know that he had failed to kill Violet. Not sure how this would end, Nancy decided not to say anything. The last thing she wanted to do was reveal Violet's identity to the person who had tried to kill her. Still, a small part of her was happy that she, at least in one respect, knew something that Nicholas didn't. It was a weak, useless feeling, but still, it made her a little more optimistic.

Still, there wasn't too much to be cheerful about. She was handcuffed to a pillar in a room with a killer. And the fact that he was telling her these things meant that he wasn't planning on letting her live.

"Except the crime against the Senator. You wanted some political influence, and when he protested, you killed him. But you couldn't cover up that crime, could you?" Nancy said mockingly. Nicholas' dark eyes narrowed. Nancy braced herself as the blow came, splitting her lip. She sucked in a deep breath and spit blood out of her mouth.

"I wish I had more time. We could have had fun together," Nicholas said huskily, reaching out to touch Nancy's face. Nancy felt her blood go cold. She kicked out at him with her feet, sending the man reeling backwards. He staggered back to his feet, eyes burning with anger. "That was not smart, Nancy."

With her arms fastened behind her back, Nancy had no way of defending herself as Nicholas brought his belt crashing down on her.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooo

Frank pulled on his jacket, running out of the hospital building. _Shoot. _He didn't actually have a mode of transportation. He cast a swift glance behind him, relieved to see that there weren't any nurses chasing him down. Strictly speaking, he wasn't supposed to be leaving the hospital. His head was pounding with pain, but he ignored it. This was an emergency.

There were still so many gaps in the mystery- why did Lopez hire Nancy? Why did he, if it really was him, kill Senator Allen?

Basically, what the heck was going on with this gang thing? Frank's head swam, and for a moment he felt very dizzy and wished he could sit down.

But first, he needed to find Nancy.

Suddenly Frank spotted a taxi dropping off a person, and he quickly jogged over.

"Hey, sir, can you take me somewhere?" Frank asked.

"Sure you want to be leaving the hospital? Seems like you should be admitted," the cab driver observed, looking at the blood streaked on Frank's forehead from the hefty gash.

"I'm sure." Frank was already opening the door to get in.

"Where to, sir?"

Frank realized that he had no idea where to start. Nicholas Lopez most likely had Nancy, but until this afternoon, he hadn't known that he was a criminal, let alone discovered where his base was. Which left him with no place to even start looking for Nancy.

_Think, Frank! You're not a detective for nothing!_

The cab driver was waiting and Frank furiously thought through any possible leads. Suddenly a memory popped into his head.

_"I picked up some important information from Officer Barton. Apparently her disappearance somehow was related to the local mafia."_

One way or another, Officer Barton had known about Nicholas Lopez's involvement in Violet's case. That gave Frank exactly the lead he needed. He turned to the cab driver.

"Downtown police station, please," he stated.

Frank sprinted up the stairs, and yanked at the door. It was locked. Frank's heart sank.

"What can I do for you sir?"

Frank spun to find himself facing a muscular young man in the police uniform.

"I need to find Officer Barton," Frank stated. The man's expression changed from concern to curiosity.

"What's the nature of this emergency?" the policeman asked, shifting his weight from leg to leg. Frank hesitated. Based on Officer Barton, he knew that the police could be involved with Nicholas' gang, in which case, announcing that he was still alive could be the death sentence.

"Wait a minute, are you Nancy's friend?" the policeman suddenly said.

"Yes..." Frank tried to shake the fuzzy feeling from his brain. He needed to be alert!

"I'm Chief Potters," the man said. "Nancy's friend from college." Suddenly his expression changed to concern. "Is she why you're here?" _Well that explains how Nancy gained access to Chicago criminal files..._

"Nancy's disappeared, and I think Officer Barton might have some of the information I need. I can explain it all later, but right now, speed is essential," Frank summarized impatiently.

"Follow me," Chief Potters said, unlocking the door.

**_Sorry everyone, that's the third cliffy-ish ending... so much going on with Nancy, Frank, and Joe, that I think it might be a little while before I can stop at a point that isn't a cliff hanger!_**

**_Please be awesome and leave a review!_**


	10. Chapter 9

_**Okay so I just realized, am I like the only person who updates a story so often? Should I update less often? I don't know if maybe all of you would appreciate more time between chapters so you can stay more updated and not fall behind or something? Let me know! **_

_**Also you're all amazing for reviewing! And reading! **_

_**I don't own the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. I do own a cat. Then again, can a cat really be owned? **_

"Chief Potters, what's going on?" Officer Barton glanced at Frank with faint recognition.

"This man would like to speak with you."

"So I figured, but at 3 in the morning?"

"Well, you were already here working on a case, so it's not like I dragged you out of bed," Chief Potters' tone hardened slightly at the resistance. "I'll be outside," he said flatly, leaving the room before Officer Barton could give another word of argument.

"What'd you like to know?" Officer Barton sighed, slumping back in his seat. Suddenly he sat up. "You're that pretty investigator's friend."

Frank bristled slightly at Officer Barton's use of the word _pretty_. For some reason it bothered him more than he would have expected. "Yes."

"I told her to stay out of that case," Officer Barton murmured. Frank leaned forward, ignoring the pounding pain in his head.

"What do you know about Nicholas Lopez?"

"I don't know who that is." However, Officer Barton's blue eyes slid away from Frank's in the tell tale sign of lying.

"Are you with them?" Frank demanded, feeling his blood begin to boil as he thought about Joe, pale and going into surgery. "Are you?!" he stood up, glaring.

"No! I'm not!" Officer Barton shook his head quickly, holding his hands up in the gesture of innocence. "Okay listen. I've helped Lopez's gang before. But it was only to keep my family safe! You don't know what that man will do to stay in power..."

"I probably know more than you think I do," Frank commented dryly, thinking back to Senator Allen's death and his wrecked car. "I believe you, officer. But we need to put this guy behind bars. He's killed people, my brother is in the hospital because of him, and I think he has my friend." Frank's dark eyes burned into Officer Barton's pale face.

"Alright. I'll give you the address of the gang's base. But one condition..."

"You're in no position to bargaining with me," Frank growled.

"You've got to keep me out of this. If you catch the guy, awesome. I'll come clean and hope that Chief Potters believes I was really doing it to protect my family. But if something goes wrong..." Officer Barton's blue eyes darted away from Frank, as though he were already searching for danger. "Leave me out of it, please."

Frank relaxed slightly. "Alright. Deal."

* * *

Nancy drifted back into consciousness and, as a wave of pain assaulted her, wished she hadn't. Dazedly, she opened her eyes. She was still in the same room, same position.

Nicholas was ignoring her, walking around the room with a large jug, pouring something on the floor. The body was still in the same position.

Nancy stifled a moan as she moved slightly. _What was Nicholas doing?_ Nancy closed her eyes for a moment, forcing herself to focus. She opened her eyes and tried to read the label. The smell hit her before the answer.

Gasoline.

Immediately Nancy knew what he was doing. The whole warehouse would go up in flames, covering Nicholas' tracks. Destroying the evidence.

"They'll still connect it with you," Nancy said out loud. Nicholas turned.

"I'll be gone. With all this mess, it'll be easier to cut and run. Maybe buy a mansion and settle down. Maybe I'll start a new gang in another city. The possibilities are endless." Nicholas poured gasoline over a table and desks.

_Not good._ Nancy tentatively tried moving her arms. The movement sent a jagged pain through her bruised side. Even if she could get out of the chains, she wasn't sure if she could make it more than a couple yards without passing out.

"We all set, Boss?" a man's voice called out.

"Just about." Nicholas emptied the remaining contents of the can of gasoline onto the floor, the splashing sound filling the room. As he pulled out a match, Nancy's heart raced as she struggled not to panic. There was a scraping noise and Nancy could see the small little flame glowing above the puddle of gasoline. She opened her mouth, but Nicholas had already dropped the match. There was a loud hissing noise, and flames shot up, spreading rapidly. In the flickering fire light, Nicholas' face glowed eerily. "Good bye, Nancy Drew. Say hello to the Hardys on the other side for me." With that, he left the room.

* * *

Frank left the office clutching a piece of paper tightly in his right hand, his heart pounding. He had kept himself calm, but was beginning to lose it. _He better not hurt her._

"Frank!" Chief Potters was striding after him. "Did you find what you needed?"

In response, Frank simply raised the piece of paper.

"Follow me," Chief Potters said.

"I've got this Chief," Frank said stiffly. He didn't quite trust Chief Potters for some reason. Chief Potters turned around, eyebrows raised incredulously.

"Listen. I don't know what's going on, but I know that Nanc is in trouble. I'm coming." Chief Potters' face was dead serious, and Frank felt a stab of jealousy. How did this guy know Nancy so well? _Dude, you've been out of touch with Nancy for years. She's going to make friends while you're gone._

"Alright Chief." Frank gave in, sensing that the Chief's intentions were sincere. He got into the man's car, and handed him the address.

"It's Brandon," the officer said, tense face relaxing momentarily into a bright smile.

Suddenly Frank's cell phone began ringing. That is, Nancy's cell phone, which was still in his pocket. Quickly he pulled it out and opened it.

"Nancy, thank goodness!" a woman's voice said with relief as soon as he opened the phone. Frank thought the voice sounded familiar, and he wasn't looking forward to breaking the news.

"Um... George?" he guessed. There was a pause.

"Who are you and what have you done with Nancy!" George's voice was full of venom. Frank winced as he remembered how dangerous George could be, especially when Nancy was in danger.

"George, it's Frank! Frank Hardy," he said quickly.

"Frank?" The anger in George's voice faded slightly. "What's going on? Where's Nancy?"

"I don't know," Frank sighed.

"Who's got her this time?" George's voice was light, as though it was a joke, but Frank could pick out the underlying concern.

"Well, we're not certain. But we think it's a gang leader."

"Great," George's voice was small. "I was going to tell Nan that I was on my way to visit my grandparents, so I could stop by Chicago to see her. Is there any way I could help?" George asked calmly.

"How about we'll meet you at the Chicago Central Hospital. Could you pay Joe a visit there?"

"Oh my gosh, what happened?"

"I'll tell you later, we're almost there."

"Okay, well, be careful and get Nancy out in one piece."

"I'll see you soon, if all goes well. You might want to update Carson..."

"Got it. See you at the hospital."

George hung up. Frank turned the cell phone and tucked it in his pocket.

"We're here," Brandon said. "It's one block from here."

"The warehouse?"

"I think so." Brandon and Frank quickly got out of the car and paused to discuss the best course of action.

Suddenly Frank noticed the smell of smoke. His blood froze. Sprinting around the corner confirmed his worst fears. The warehouse was on fire.

Then he noticed a man running out of the warehouse and into a car. _Nicholas Lopez._ Frank instantly switched into action mode.

"Brandon! Get the tires!" Frank yelled. There were two gunshots and suddenly the car skidded to a stop, screeching loudly. Nicholas jumped out of the car and took off along the street. Frank froze, his gaze flickering back to the burning warehouse.

Brandon was already sprinting past Frank. "I've got him, go find Nancy!"

Relieved, Frank turned to the huge warehouse door. It was boarded up, but Frank tore the planks off. Smoke billowed out the door. Coughing, Frank stumbled into a huge room. There were flames all over, eating at desks and scattered papers.

His heart froze when he spotted a body lying in the middle of the floor.

"Frank!" The call was weak and hoarse, but it was music to Frank's ears.

"Nancy!" Frank wove through the smoke and flames, ignoring the rising temperature, towards the sound of her voice. "Keep talking! Where are you?"

"I'm here, by this stupid pillar!" Nancy called out. "By the way, I'm really glad you're not dead." Frank skirted around a burning table and nearly stumbled over Nancy. He went straight for the handcuffs, pulling out a lock picking tool. "Did you get Nicholas?" Nancy asked.

"Brandon went after him," Frank grunted, focusing on the handcuffs.

"Joe?"

"He's at the hospital. I'm not sure how he's doing but he was stable when I saw him last."

The clamps swung open after a few tense moments. Frank pulled Nancy up and gasped as he finally got a good look at her.

Her blue shirt was blood stained and torn, holes showing cut and bruised flesh. Frank raised his eyes to Nancy's face, taking in the gash on the side of her face, as well as her bruised jaw, the dark blood staining her strawberry blond hair... Frank's blood began to boil, and it wasn't from the rising temperature in the warehouse. Nancy shot him a steady look.

"Frank, not now. I'm fine. In case you didn't notice though, the warehouse is kind of on fire."

Frank noticed that Nancy was trembling slightly, despite her efforts to hide it. He tightened his grip on her hand and began picking his way through the wreckage. "Tell me if you start feeling faint, okay?" he said loudly over the growing crackling of the flames.

"I'm not the only one recovering from a concussion, Hardy," Nancy shot back, coughing. She stopped for a moment quickly glancing upward. "Frank, let's run," she suggested, and undercurrent of urgency in her voice.

"Nanc..." Frank frowned, not wanting to push her in her current state.

"Frank! Run!" Nancy yelled, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward, ignoring the blinding pain at the movement. Somehow she managed to keep going, her vision blurring.

Above, the ceiling groaned, and suddenly Frank understood Nancy's panic. The building was on its way towards collapsing.

Glancing at Nancy, he saw her eyes beginning to cloud over. Without hesitation, he picked her up and started racing towards the exit. A hot ember fell on his shoulder, and his shirt caught on fire. The pain was agonizing, but Frank forced himself forward._ Almost there. Almost..._ There was a deafening crash as part of the roof collapsed.

Just then, Frank burst out of the door and into the cold night air, almost slamming into Brandon who was on his way in.

"You sure know how to make an exit, Hardy," Brandon grinned with relief.

"Hey Chief," Nancy said faintly as Frank helped her stumble away from the burning building.

"How ya doing, Detective?" Brandon asked gently, quickly taking in her beaten state.

"Tell me if Lopez got away or not, and then I'll tell you."

"He's handcuffed in the car, not going anywhere," Brandon glanced at his car to make sure, and nodded firmly.

"Then I am just swell."

_**To review, or not to review, that is the question. However, there is a clear answer: review! (please)**_


	11. Chapter 10

_**Hello everyone, and thanks for sticking with me! This is the last chapter! I'm sorry it's so short, I really did plan for this story to be longer, but it is what it is! A HUGE thanks for everyone who put this story on their favs, or followed, as well as to anybody who left a review! It definitely made my first fanfic a great experience! And of course, if you didn't review, I'm still happy you took the time to read this!**_

_**On that note, I will be putting up a new story, but it won't be sequel to this one. Please give it a look! It's pretty different than any ND/HB fanfic I've ever seen, so that leads me to believe that you all might hate it... but hopefully not! So please give that a look when it's up if you'd like, and tell me what you think.  
**_

_**I do not own Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys.  
**_

"Hey, Joe, how are you feeling?"

The voice floated towards him in the darkness, oddly familiar. Joe groaned. He realized with surprise that he wasn't in too much pain. _Pain meds for the win!_

"Like I got in a car crash, half froze, and then got cut open on a operating table," Joe mumbled in reply, opening his eyes. "George?" he said, surprised to find the muscular girl sitting beside his hospital bed. "Hey look, it's Georgia!" he grinned, slowly moving himself into a sitting position. George narrowed her dark eyes dangerously.

"Don't call me that unless you'd like to end up on that operating table again," she threatened.

"Whoa," Joe held up his hands. "Just kidding."

At his exaggerated scared tone, they both burst out laughing. A doctor came in and checked Joe over, informing him that the operation had been a success and warning him not to get out of bed or move too much.

"So, how'd you get here?" Joe asked. Quickly George told him about her conversation with Frank.

"What about you? What happened?" George asked.

"Well, you know, hospitals are the best place for finding hot nurses..." Joe began. He was met by George's withering stare. "Someone messed with our car and we flipped," Joe admitted. "We're on..."

"A case," George finished for him, brushing a strand of her black hair out of her face. "Same one as Nanc?" she asked after a second.

"Sort of. Where is she, by the way?" Joe's expression became serious. George stiffened.

"I don't know. I talked to your brother about an hour ago and he was on his way trying to find her." George began absentmindedly clenching her hand into a fist.

"So... you think they'll end up as couple?" Joe grinned. He knew that George was worried about Nancy, but there was nothing they could do at the moment but wait.

"Try Bess if you want to talk about that. You're asking the wrong cousin," George grimaced. "You know that, Joe Hardy. Don't even try to pull me into this."

Joe's grin widened. _Good ol' George._

A loud ringing filled the room. "Hold on," George said, digging into her tote bag and pulled out her cell phone. She listened for a moment. "Ok, I'll be right down."

"Who was it?"

"Frank. They're on their way to the hospital. I'm going to run down and meet them, okay?" George grabbed her bag.

"Tell them to come say hi to me," Joe suggested.

"Will do." George flashed a quick smile whichdidn't quite reach her worried eyes, and left the room.

George tapped her leg nervously as she waited to be allowed to see her friend. She had been waiting for about half an hour, and was beginning to get pretty impatient. She had been in the hospital for Nancy several times. More than several times.

George picked up her cell phone and saw that Bess had texted back.

_Omg! Tell me as soon as you know how she is! _

George quickly replied.

_K, waiting to see her, I'll let you know._

"Georgia Fayne?" A nurse called. George jumped up.

"Can I see Nancy now?"

"She should be ready to see a visitor, but she's going to be out of it from the pain meds," the nurse informed George, who nodded and followed the nurse down the call. She didn't ask how Nancy was doing, unwilling to prolong the wait to see her any longer.

A strikingly handsome dark haired man was sitting outside the door, dark eyes crinkled with unease. It took George a moment to recognize the man as Frank Hardy. George gasped as she noticed that a large portion of his shirt on his shoulder was burned away, revealing damaged skin.

"Frank! What happened? What are you doing here?" George breathed. "You should be seeing a doctor!"

"He's refused," the nurse told George, concerned face folded in a frown. George shot Frank a questioning look.

"I already went and saw Joe really quick But I want to see how Nanc is doing too before I get treated,," Frank explained. His expression held almost an element of desperation.

"Why can't he see her?" George asked, turning to the nurse and ignoring the relational implications of Frank's insistence.

The nurse simply drew her thin lips together in a tight straight line.

"They think I'm the one who did it to her," Frank explained, a muscle in his jaw flexing.

"Did what?" George's heart began beating a little faster. She had assumed that Nancy was in for the usual- a concussion, maybe a scrape or two, that was the worst it usually got.

"Ms. Drew is sustaining several deep cuts, along with other minor injuries, as a result of a fairly severe beating."

"He didn't..." George hissed, clenching her fists. "What a..."

"But it wasn't me," Frank cut in, giving George an understanding look. "You can find your culprit in the downtown jail."

"He's telling the truth," George said. "Frank would be the last person to hurt Nancy."

The nurse hesitated. Then she opened the door and ushered them both in.

The sight of Nancy, small and bundled in so many bandages momentarily shocked Frank. She looked so... fragile. It was like the complete opposite of her usual character, and the difference made his chest feel like it was being crushed.

"Lose the frown, Hardy," Nancy had rolled over and was giving Frank an unreadable look. "What the heck are you doing here! For goodness sake, get your shoulder looked at!" Nancy exclaimed, blue eyes falling on Frank's shoulder with a mixture of exasperation and concern.

So much for small and fragile.

It was not exactly the reception Frank had been expecting. His shock must have showed, because Nancy's expression softened.

"We can talk later," she promised.

"Hey, Nanc, look we can be broken rib buddies!" Joe grinned.

"Awesome!" Nancy gave him a high five. "And Frank and I have matching forehead gashes."

"Maybe you'll both get a Harry Potter scar," Joe suggested excitedly.

"Okay, the painkillers are definitely making you both go crazy," Frank grumbled, fingering the bandage on his shoulder. They were all in Joe's room, reunited after undergoing medical bandaging. The doctors had decided that all three needed to stay for some time for observation, especially Joe, who wasn't even supposed to leave his bed, but had allowed the young adults to visit each other in Joe's room.

"You do realize that the doctors are calling you three the Concussion Club?" George said, leaning back in her chair, keeping a careful eye on Nancy. It had been hard to see her best friend so battered. In fact, it made George want to go punch the jerk who had hurt her. Unfortunately Nicholas was unavailable- Brandon Potters had hauled him off to jail.

"If we ever started a detective agency, we should call ourselves that," Joe laughed. Frank groaned and rolled his eyes. He was just thankful that Nancy and Joe were feeling well enough to joke and laugh. Out of all three, he was the least injured, a fact which bothered him a lot. Joe was recovering well from the emergency surgery on his heart and was expected to make a full recovery. Nancy had several stitches for the deeper cuts and bandages of varying sizes all over, as well as broken ribs and bruises. And, of course, they all had suffered a concussion.

Joe's cell phone rang, and he glanced at the caller id, and smiled widely.

"Hey babe," Joe smiled into the phone. He made a shooing motion at Frank, who walked out of the room with Nancy and George.

"Must have been Vanessa," Frank guessed.

"I had surmised that he had a girlfriend. Don't tell me he's settled down?" Nancy grinned.

"He's as settled as Joe gets." Frank met Nancy's gaze.

How was she so darn attractive even with gauze wrapped around her head? Another image flashed into his head... Nancy beaten and bruised, tied to that pillar... The memory made his blood begin to simmer again.

"What are you thinking about?" Nancy asked. Frank started and saw that George had tactfully slipped off.

"Nothing much." Frank let his gaze drift back to her face.

"I don't believe I ever thanked you for coming to get me at the warehouse," Nancy said softly, sitting down next to Frank in his hospital room.

"I wish I had gotten there earlier," Frank sighed, his eyes falling on the bruise on her jaw.

"Well, it all worked out," Nancy said lightly. "So I guess the case is closed, once they round up the rest of Nicholas' thugs."

"Your case. We still have to wait and see if a drug was found in the Senator's system. I'm pretty confident they'll find it though." Frank sighed. "With what was salvaged from the warehouse, and the confessions of some of Nicholas' accomplices, I think we can nail murder on him pretty easily."  
"So the case is closed," Nancy smiled.

Still, for some reason, the thought of going home made her hesitate. Usually she was thrilled at an end of a mystery, but this time... She felt like she was leaving something behind.

"Hey, Nanc?" Frank said suddenly.

"Yes?"

"What if..." Frank hesitated. "I don't know if you'd be ready for this, after we just finished this case, but what if you came and gave Joe and I a hand with our next case? I'm sure we'll have something waiting for us at home."

A touch at her hand brought her gaze back to Frank. He was looking at her with a mixture of longing and control. Nancy reminded herself that they had both lost a partner, Ned and Callie. She knew she needed a little space before she could get back into a relationship again.

"I'll have to see," Nancy murmured. But a smile spread across her face, and she was almost positive she would be seeing the Hardys again.

**_The End!  
_**

**_I might do a sequel at some point, and I apologize to those F/N fans who wanted them to end up as a couple at the end, I just felt like they would have to be together a bit longer for that to happen. So probably in the sequel.  
_**

**_I would really appreciate any reviews on this chapter, and on the story as a whole!  
_**

**_Remember to check out my new story when it's up!  
_**

**_Thanks!  
_**


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